5 new ways Google has made finding your lost Android smartphone easier

16

5 new ways Google has made finding your lost Android smartphone easier

Over the years Google has introduced lot of tools and features which enhance the security features of Android and at the same time offer seamless user experience. In 2013, Google introduced Device Manager service which helps in locating lost devices. Then last year the company released some more features for the same and named it as Find My Device. The Find My Device feature is default enabled on Android devices running on Android KitKat and above. Any Android smartphone or device must have a working internet connection and Google sign-in with location enabled for feature to work. The company said that Android users found the Find My Device feature quite useful. Taking the feedback the tech giant introduced some features to both the app and website for better user experience. The features added include:

​ Display last known location

In case you lost your phone and it is not connected to the internet and it cannot display the current location, then Find My Device will display the last known location from the Google Maps location history. Users will also have the ability to launch Maps' location timeline from the Find My Device app so they can retrace their steps.

​ Display last connected Wi-Fi access point

The app will also display the last connected Wi-Fi access point. This will enable users to determine the location of their lost device even if the location can’t be reported.

​ Display battery level

The Find My Device tool will also tell the amount of battery left in the device. This will allow users to estimate the time they have to reach their smartphone.

​ Improved usability

It’s now easier for users with multiple devices to select the one they’re looking for and perform common actions, such as ring, lock and erase.

Android Wear and Google Home also support Find My Device

Users can find their watch with their phone and their phone with their watch (as long as both devices have location enabled) or ask their Google Home to find their device by saying, "Ok Google, where is my Phone?"